IFS officer chargesheeted in human trafficking case

PTIFeb 24, 2008, 09.59am IST

NEW DELHI: An Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer and a Punjabi singer are among five persons who have been chargesheeted by the CBI for their alleged involvement in trafficking nine persons to Berlin three years ago.

The investigating agency, while filing the chargesheet in a court here, said, "In 2005, Rakesh Kumar, former director general Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) facilitated empanelling of a bogus cultural group -- Mehak Punjab Di -- and illegally trafficked nine individuals to Berlin misusing his official position."

In the chargesheet, the CBI accused Kumar -- who had also served as special secretary, Ministry of External Affairs -- of "human trafficking for a monetary consideration" in a conspiracy involving Punjabi singer Balwinder Bawa and others.

"He directed to send a team of 15 members comprising inexperienced and untrained Punjabi folk dancers to Germany on government sponsorship before his transfer from ICCR," the CBI claimed.

Invoking penal provisions of the cheating, forgery and others of the Prevention of Corruption Act, the agency said that out of 15 members group, nine members had defected after their performance at the Indian Embassy in Berlin in September 2005 as part of the conspiracy.

Besides Kumar, the agency also accused Shiv Kumar Sharma the then Punjab Agriculture University employee, Harghulab Singh, a Punjab-based farmer, Balwinder Bawa a Punjabi singer and Gurbhej Singh, constable of Punjab Armed Police of various offences in the case registered with it on November 22, 2005.

A bogus cultural group 'Mehak Punjab Di' was formed in 2005 after Harghulab contacted Sharma for sending his son Randeep abroad, it said.